Page 62 - Tehelka Issue 8&9

tollywood

debut,” she recalls. She was poet to have a diwan (col- asting couch has A new twist in the position in Telangana. The
on a roll, with a chore- lection of poems) of her created turmoil rift between Kammas and
ography residency at the ghazals and nazms. It was in the Tollywood. Kapus widened with Pawan’s
American Dance Festival, performed as a diptych The issue is tak- cAsting couch row personal attack on AP Chief
followed by a faculty with William Dalrymple’s C ing turns in an Minister Chandrababu and
position there the very talk on the Deccan. In unprecedented way. Earlier, his son Nara Lokesh, who
next year. In 2004, Thresh 2015, she became a Certi- it was limited to cinema only. also holds IT and Panchatraj
her dance company was fied Movement Analyst Later on, it led to war of words The controversy, which started as Tollywood issue, portfolio in AP cabinet, when
established and a highly from the Laban Institute between Tollywood actress is being politicised by a few, writes SateeSh Revelli he levelled serious corrup-
successful nine city per- of Movement Studies, Sri Reddy and Hero Pawan tion charges against them.
formance tour of India was which later conferred her Kalyan, who is also the chief of The unholy alliance between
undertaken. with the Dance Perfor- recently formed Janasena Po- politics and film industry and
In 2006, she married mance Award in the same litical Party. The issue further media houses with a caste
again, a British national, year. initiated war between Pawan dominance is not new to
Bruno Kavanagh and lived Most recently, Preeti and the media, which in turn Telugu states. The Sri Reddy’s
in India for two years, us- felt that her work has also led to legal battle. episode has just lowered it to
ing that time to create an been driven by the em- The controversy led to a another level.
interactive website ‘Danc- brace of the ballet world, vertical split among Tol-
ing for the Gods’ which is especially, the mentoring lywood bigwigs over ban on Tweets and legal notices
used in NYC public schools she has received from news channels. The top actors As response to the tweets
as a pathway for the Jacques d’Amboise. She of Tollywood — except Pawan by Pawan Kalyan, manage-
students to know Indian has worked in a dance Kalyan, who has become the ments of two media houses
culture. She also created a collaboration with Amar centrepoint of the issue and issued legal notices to Pawan,
new production based on Ramassar, the principal Balakrishna — held a meeting saying that the Janasena
Kalidas’ ‘Vikramorvashi- dancer of the New York in Annapurna Studios and Party president is making
yam’, called ‘The Absent City Ballet in a pro- discussed recent develop- baseless allegations against
Lover’, that goes on to gramme called ‘Etudes’. ments in the industry. It is them. Pawan’s statements are
win her kudos and many “Etudes was initiated by learnt that a section of the • Fight for right The casting couch Sri Reddy, instigating his fans to attack
awards, including seven a prestigious Resident attendees pushed a proposal issue is unlikely to die down soon media, they alleged.
nominations and three fellowship through the for a blanket ban of all movie who came to Earlier, Pawan made con-
awards at META. Center for Ballet and the related contents to the three limelight when trovercial comments through
There was no looking Arts, NYU. The initial work news channels, which are apologetic note through her his twitter account. He worte,
back after that. She began has been performed in facing the ire for targeting the Twitter page). she stripped in “If I cannot defend the honour
creating provocative con- many venues, including a film industry. Her action stirred the public to expose of my mother, I better die”.
temporary work from the traditional. week-long residency at the American Actress Sri Reddy, who hornet’s nest in the mega After the strip protest by Sri
Significant among them are ‘Drum- She has worked College of Greece in Athens, but the full came to limelight when she star family, which includes the casting Reddy, following which she
ming a Dream’ for the Chamber Music evening work is due to be premiered in stripped in public to expose Pawan and his brother and couch culture, used an abusive word against
Society of Lincoln Centre and ‘Savitri’ in a dance 2019,” shares an excited Preeti knowing the casting couch culture, former minister Chiran- Pawan, these clippings were
for her own company Thresh. In 2013, collaboration with that she is on to something which she a euphemism, for sexual jeevi. Claiming he was deeply for sexual repeatedly telecast by some
‘Savitri’ got nominated to the Meta didn’t attempt before. harassment in Tollywood, hurt by Sri Reddy’s abuse channels, followers of Pawan
awards but failed to make the final cut Amar Ramassar, It is not just this path-breaking work has later shifted her focus involving his mother, Pawan harassment in alleged. Subsequently, Pawan
as the jury was divided on whether it the principal but also her recently premiered ‘Stories on Pawan Kalyan. Referring alleged that a smear cam- Tollywood, has declared an open war against
was dance or theatre, just the sort of by Hand’ — a solo work in collaboration the Pawan Kalyan as Anna paign against him was being them. He also called for
problem one can run into by accepting dancer of the New with the famous multimedia artist, Paul ( Brother), she earnestly orchestrated by a caste lobby, shifted her focus boycott of TV9, ABN Andhra
a fracture between dance and theatre, York City Ballet Kaiser, commissioned through a two- requested him to question which owns media. However, on Pawan Kalyan Jyothy and TV5 who, he al-
but stoically Preeti says, “I was happy to year residency (2015-17) by Bill T Jones’ the people at the helm of the the media in both the Telugu leged were making business
be part of a debate.” in a programme New York Live Arts, and premiered to industry on her behalf. He in states, controlled by Kamma out of nudity and profanity.
She continued on this trajectory great success in November 2017. Preeti turn advised her to go to the community. Later, he stated that “tweets
with ‘Veiled Moon’ a production com- called ‘Etudes’ Vasudevan is getting noticed as her police. Infuriated by this, she Subsequently, Pawan Andhra Pradesh Chief Minis- are personal” and they will
missioned in 2015 by the Metropolitan that was initiated years of pushing the boundaries are slapped herself with shoes in launched a Twitter war ter N. Chandrababu Naidu for never have legal sanctity.
Museum of Art in New York, which finally bearing the fruit in a demanding public reportedly,in gesture of against a few leading vernac- allegedly ordering the cam- What would be the next turn
was based on the poetry of Maha Laqa by a prestigious city where daring, drive and determi- regret for calling him brother. ular TV channels owned by paign. He called on the people in the controversial casting
Bai Chanda from the 18th century, a Resident nation are the first step to success. She even went on TV live, influential businessmen to boycott channels, who couch issue is yet to be seen.
Hyderabad-based Urdu poet, courte- abusing him and his mother in Kamma community and are in nexus with the
san, philanthropist and the first female fellowship letters@tehelka.com (later she had sent out an he even trained guns at ruling TDP in AP and op- letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 may 2018 62 www.Tehelka.com Tehelka / 15 may 2018 63 www.Tehelka.com

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